Interior demonstration apparatus



Aug. 18, 1942. s. MEYER 2,293,441

INTERIOR DEMONSTRATION APPARATUS Filed March 24, 1941 U HIIHIII 954; WM G". 720% Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNiTED STATES rarer-ii Claims.

This invention relates to interior demonstration apparatus and is more particularly concerned with apparatus for demonstrating arrangements of furniture or like articles in a room.

It is a major object of the invention to provide a novel, inexpensive demonstrator assembly for accurately displaying different arrangements and relative distributions of room furnishings and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel, inexpensive furniture or like demonstration element which is preferably cut from a single sheet of paper or the like and formed with integral flap supports for maintaining itself erect on a selected floor and indicating the floor space required therefor.

Further objects of th invention will presently appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the assembly of the invention illustrating the various demonstrator elements assembled on a model floor;

Figure 2 illustrates a selected demonstrator element as cut from a single sheet of material and illustrating the flap structure;

Figure 3 is a front view of the element of Figure 2 with the flaps folded to support the element in the position illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken along line 4- 5 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the element of Figure 3;

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are illustrations of further cut-out elements, similar in construction to the element of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1, my novel demonstrator assembly comprises a relative stationary base ll supporting a plurality of movable demonstrator elements variously indicated at [2, l3, I l, [5 and [5.

Base 1 i is preferably a rectangular or any suitably shaped sheet of stiff cardboard, plywood or the like having a planar top surface I! divided into a plurality of areas of predetermined size by perpendicularly intersecting sets of parallel lines [8 and i9. I have found it satisfactory to provide a surface I! about twenty-four inches square which lines 88 and I9 divide into one-half inch squares each representing a twelve inch square of a full sized room floor.

Lines l8 and 19 may be painted, grooved,

be drawn upon a sheet of paper clipped or adhesively secured to base I I.

Element i2 (Figures 2-5) is preferably cut out of a single sheet of relatively stiff paper or like material upon which elements IZ-i6 and other similar elements may be printed or otherwise outlined. As cut out (Figure 2), element 12 comprises a main front rectangular panel 2! having integral side flaps Z2 and 23 foldable along score lines 2 3 and 25, respectively, and an integral bottom flap 2t foldable along score line 27.

Panel bears in its front surface a pictorial representation 28 of the article of furniture or the like to be demonstrated, in this instance a small table. Preferably this representation, which is herein called a front elevational View, is a print from a photograph of .a full size table taken from a point at the eye level of a person entering a room containing the table. Any other suitable front elevation representation of the table may be employed.

Figures 35 illustrate element 52 with flaps 22 and 23 folded rearwardly at right angles to panel 25 and flap 2?: folded up forwardly until it is at right angles to panel 2!, whereby element !2 is ready to be placed on surface l1.

Element I3 is preferably a duplicate of element l2. Element is (Figure 8) comprises a front panel 29 having rearwardly foldable side flaps 3| and 32 and a forwardly foldable bottom flap 33. Panel 29 bears on its front surface a front elevational representation of a sofa.

Element [-5 (Figure 6) comprises a front panel 34 having rearwardly foldable side flaps 35 and 33 and a forwardly foldable bottom fia-p 37. Panel 34 bears on its front surface pictorial representations of a framed portrait 38 and an open fire place 39.

Element [3 (Figure '7) comprises a front panel 4| having rearwardly foldable side flaps 42 and 43 and a forwardly foldable bottom flap 44. Panel ii bears on its front surface a pictorial representation of breakfront desk 45.

The side and bottom flaps of elements i i-l6 are folded on score lines similarly to the flaps of element I2. The pictorial representations on elements l2-l6 are scaled with respect to the full size furniture in the same relation that surface l'l' is scaled to actual room size. In other words each representation is preferably about one twenty-fourth the size of the corresponding full size furnishing.

Elements l2--l6 are self-supported on surface inked or otherwise formed on surface I! or may I! by the above described folded flaps. The bottom flap of each element rests flush on surface I! While the side flaps further support the element and aid in maintaining it upright. Each of bottom flaps 25, 33, 3! and ts is readily visible and of predetermined size and shape to provide in plan a representation in proper scale of its associated furnishing, and each therefore indicates to the observer the exact amount of floor space taken up by that furnishing.

Elements l2-it are distributed on surface I! in the arrangement which the correspondingfullsize furnishings are to occupy with respect to the floor of the room to be furnished. Calibrated surface I! enables this distribution to be effected accurately and quickly.

With reference to Figure l, the observer can see at a glance the relative proportions of the furniture with the desk and fireplace assembly arranged along adjoining walls and the sofa flanked by two small tables along the other wall. If desired, the arrangement can be changed by moving theeleznents along surface I? and additional elements can be placed on the surface or Withdrawn at will.

The above described assembly of my invention is inexpensive, easy to manufacture and simple to understand and use. In actual practice, I provide about fifty folded cut-outs representing different articles of furniture and any desired number may be employed.

Since the pictorial representations of the furnishings are on the same scale as the calibrated surface supporting them guesswork is eliminated and the assembled elements conveys as accurate a picture as could be obtained by viewing a full size room display.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A furniture or like article demonstrator element made from a single sheet of stiff paper or the like and consisting of "a vertical front panel containing a front elevational View of the article demonstrated, a forwardly bent horizontal flap on the bottom of said panel having the size and shape in plan of said article to be demonstrated and a pair of rearwardly bent vertical flaps along opposite side edges of said panel.

2. A furniture or like article demonstrator element comprising a vertical front panel containing an elevational representation of an article to be demonstrated, and a substantially horizontal member secured to said panel, said member projecting forwardly from the bottom of said panel and having the size and shape in plan of said article to be demonstrated.

3. In the demonstrator element defined in claim 2, said panel being made of relatively stiff sheet material, and a plurality of rearwardly extending Wings on said panel to assist said element in standing upright.

4. A furniture or like article demonstrator element comprising a vertical front panel of relatively stiff sheet material containing an elevationai representation of the article to be demonstrated, and a horizontal flap projecting forwardly from the bottom of said panel, said flap serving to assist in maintaining said element in upright position and having the size and shape in pian or" said article to be demonstrated.

5. For use in a demonstrator assembly for interior decoration and the like wherein one or more demonstrator elements are selectively placed upon and moved at will about a horizontal surface representing the floor of a room or the like; a demonstrator element adapted to be placed upright on said surface having a vertical front panel containing an elevational representation of an article or articles of furniture or the like to be demonstrated, and a forwardly projecting readily visible bottom flap on said panel at substantially floor level having the size and shape in plan of the article to be demonstrated for indicating the floor space taken up by said article, said flap serving also to maintain said element in upright position on said surface.

SYDNEY MEYER. 

